Fattah Announces First Ever App Challenge Winner for 2nd Congressional District
A student at Germantown Friends School was honored Tuesday on Capitol Hill for creating and developing a software application for competitive chess players nationwide
A student at Germantown Friends School was honored Tuesday on Capitol Hill for creating and developing a software application for competitive chess players nationwide
WASHINGTON, March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Congressman Chaka Fattah (PA-02) announced today that Robert Fetell, a student at Germantown Friends School, was chosen as the winner of the Congressional App Challenge for Pennsylvania's Second District.
Fetell accepted his award in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, where he had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Fattah and personally demonstrate his app, Chess Ratings. Fetell and his parents were also treated to a Capitol tour and participated in the House of Code reception where winners from across the country had the opportunity to share their apps and be recognized.
Chess Ratings is a niche product for competitive chess players that is currently available for free in Apple's app store. The app provides a user-friendly interface for the United States Chess Federation's registry. It allows users to quickly look up other players, and calculate their new ratings before they are published.
"As a long-time supporter of STEM education, innovation, and technology in our schools, I am proud to have offered this competition to students throughout my district. I hope that Robert's passion for technology and development spreads, and is an inspiration to other students as we continue to push science, engineering, and technology in our Philadelphia classrooms," Congressman Fattah said. "Robert, a competitive chess player, saw a need for this application and, using his computer programming skills, was able to create Chess Ratings. To have the ability to conceive and develop a software app at his young age is quite an achievement. He has demonstrated a real aptitude for technology and development, and has a very bright future ahead of him."
Students ages 13 and over were invited to create and submit their own software application ("app") for mobile, tablet, or other computing devices on a platform of their choice. The annual Congressional competition is designed to engage the creativity of students and encourage their participation in the STEM fields. This is the second year Congress has hosted the competition; by encouraging and recognizing our nation's young programming talent, Congress hopes to shine a light on the growing importance of these skills.
In total, 1722 students across the country participated in the challenge; 493 apps were created with 187 House districts participating, including seven in Pennsylvania. For additional information on the 2015 Congressional App Challenge and district winners, visit http://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/.
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160302/339640
SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah
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